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日本語
Proverbs & idioms
189 entries
Japanese proverbs (ことわざ), four-character idioms (四字熟語), and idioms — from JMdict.
Proverbs
Four-character idioms
Idioms
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水心あれば魚心
みずごころあればうおごころ
kindness begets kindness; you scratch my back and I'll scratch yours; if the water is kind to the fish, the fish will be kind to the water
水清ければ魚棲まず
みずきよければうおすまず
the morally upright have a hard time making friends; fish will not live in water that is (too) clean
氷は水より出でて水よりも寒し
こおりはみずよりいでてみずよりもさむし
students surpass their masters; ice coming from water is colder than water
氷炭相容れず
ひょうたんあいいれず
having completely different natures and being incompatible with each other; like oil and water; ice and (charcoal) fire cannot coexist
河童の川流れ
かっぱのかわながれ
anyone can make a mistake; even Homer sometimes nods
泥棒を捕らえて縄を綯う
どろぼうをとらえてなわをなう
starting something in the eleventh hour; have not thy cloak to make when it begins to rain; don't lock the stable door after the horse has been stolen; braiding the rope only after the thief is caught
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浅瀬に仇波
あさせにあだなみ
deep rivers move in silence; shallow brooks are noisy; those who know little talk much
涓滴岩を穿つ
けんてきいわをうがつ
slow but steady wins the race; constant effort will result in success; constant dripping wears away a stone
深い川は静かに流れる
ふかいかわはしずかにながれる
still waters run deep
渇しても盗泉の水を飲まず
かっしてもとうせんのみずをのまず
better starve than fatten on ill-gotten wealth; don't lower yourself to unjust acts, no matter how desperate you are; refraining to drink from a spring called Robber's Spring even if thirsty
火のないところに煙は立たない
ひのないところにけむりはたたない
there's no smoke without fire
火のない所に煙は立たぬ
ひのないところにけむりはたたぬ
there's no smoke without fire
火を見たら火事と思え
ひをみたらかじとおもえ
you can never be too careful
火事と喧嘩は江戸の華
かじとけんかはえどのはな
fires and fistfights are the flowers of Edo
父母の恩は山よりも高く海よりも深し
ふぼのおんはやまよりもたかくうみよりもふかし
our debt to our parents is higher than the mountain and deeper than the sea
物言えば唇寒し秋の風
ものいえばくちびるさむしあきのかぜ
silence is golden
狐の子は頬白
きつねのこはつらじろ
like father, like son; the apple doesn't fall far from the tree; fox pups have white cheeks
猫が顔を洗うと雨が降る
ねこがかおをあらうとあめがふる
if a cat washes its face, rain is coming
猫耳を洗うと雨が降る
ねこみみをあらうとあめがふる
if a cat washes its ears, rain is coming
猿も木から落ちる
さるもきからおちる
even monkeys fall from trees; anyone can make a mistake; pride comes before a fall; even Homer sometimes nods
瓜の蔓に茄子はならぬ
うりのつるになすびはならぬ
like begets like; the apple doesn't fall far from the tree; eggplants don't grow on gourd vines
甘井先ず竭く
かんせいまずつく
the flame that burns twice as bright burns half as long; the well with sweet water will be the first to run dry
男は松女は藤
おとこはまつおんなはふじ
men are the strong base to which women cling; men are pine trees, women are wisteria vines
男心と秋の空
おとこごころとあきのそら
a man's heart is as fickle as autumn weather
番茶も出花
ばんちゃもでばな
even a homely girl looks beautiful at the peak of her youth; even coarse tea tastes good when freshly brewed
病は気から
やまいはきから
sickness and health start with the mind
百日の説法屁一つ
ひゃくにちのせっぽうへひとつ
single mistake which ruins all one's hard work; one blunder rendering a long period of effort useless; one fart in a hundred days of sermons
目は口ほどに物を言う
めはくちほどにものをいう
one can say more with a look than with ten thousand words; the eyes cannot belie one's true thoughts; the eyes are the windows to the soul; eyes are as eloquent as the tongue
目は心の窓
めはこころのまど
the eyes are the windows to the soul; the eye is the lamp of the body
目は心の鏡
めはこころのかがみ
the eyes are the windows to the soul; the eye is the lamp of the body; the eyes are the mirror of the heart
石が流れて木の葉が沈む
いしがながれてこのはがしずむ
there are exceptions to every rule; rocks will flow and leaves will sink
石の上にも三年
いしのうえにもさんねん
perseverance prevails; three years on a (cold) stone (will make the stone warm)
秋の日は釣瓶落とし
あきのひはつるべおとし
the autumn sun sets as quickly as a bucket dropping into a well
秋の鹿は笛に寄る
あきのしかはふえによる
people may bring about their demise for love; it is easy to have one's weak points taken advantage of; in autumn (during mating season), deer come forth when they hear (a hunter's) whistle
窮鳥懐に入れば猟師もこれを殺さず
きゅうちょうふところにいればりょうしもこれをころさず
even the hunter will refrain from killing the bird that has flown to him for shelter
窮鳥懐に入れば猟師も殺さず
きゅうちょうふところにいればりょうしもころさず
even the hunter will refrain from killing the bird that has flown to him for shelter
網の目に風とまらず
あみのめにかぜとまらず
you can't catch the wind with a net
縁と月日
えんとつきひ
don't try to force good things to happen
美人は三日で飽きる
びじんはみっかであきる
beauty is only skin-deep; one gets tired of a beauty in three days
羹に懲りて膾を吹く
あつものにこりてなますをふく
a burnt child dreads the fire; once bitten twice shy; to become overcautious from a bad experience
腐っても鯛
くさってもたい
a diamond on a dunghill is still a diamond; quality is quality; an old eagle is better than a young crow; even if it's rotten, it's still sea bream
船頭多くして船山に登る
せんどうおおくしてふねやまにのぼる
too many cooks spoil the broth; too many captains will steer the ship up a mountain
良禽は木を択んで棲む
りょうきんはきをえらんですむ
a wise retainer chooses a great lord to serve; a wise bird chooses a good tree in which to roost
花は桜木、人は武士
はなはさくらぎ、ひとはぶし
the best flowers are the cherry blossoms, the best individuals are the samurai; as the cherry blossom is first among flowers, so is the warrior first among men
花泥棒は罪にならない
はなどろぼうはつみにならない
it is no crime to steal flowers
落ち武者は薄の穂に怖ず
おちむしゃはすすきのほにおず
when you are in a state of fear, the smallest thing will startle you; a fleeing soldier takes fright even from a head of silver grass
落花枝に帰らず破鏡再び照らさず
らっかえだにかえらずはきょうふたたびてらさず
fallen blossom doesn't return to the branch, a broken mirror can not be made to shine; what's done is done; there's no use crying over spilled milk
葷酒山門に入るを許さず
くんしゅさんもんにいるをゆるさず
bringing pungent vegetables or liquor inside the temple is prohibited
蓑になり笠になり
みのになりかさになり
helping and protecting in all ways; acting as a raincoat (protecting from rain) and acting as a hat (protecting from sun)
虎口を逃れて竜穴に入る
ここうをのがれてりゅうけつにいる
out of the frying pan into the fire; out of the tiger's mouth into the dragon's den